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Rawlings-Blake will unveil the "Baltimore Compact" in September when she hosts mayors from around the nation in Baltimore during the conference's annual leadership meeting.

"The Baltimore Compact" will outline solutions to the major challenges cities currently face as well as reflect the priorities of mayors from both political parties and cities of all sizes.

"We will use this document to ensure that Baltimore and other cities not only have a seat at the table, but that Baltimore and mayors drive the agenda," Rawlings-Blake said. "Right now, 90 percent of this country’s people and 90 percent of our country’s jobs are in our metro areas. There is almost nothing we cannot achieve, as long as we work collectively. Together we will make sure our friends in Washington step up to the plate, with Baltimore leading the way."

Rawlings-Blake acknowledged in her speech living through the darkest days the city has seen in 50 years during the civil unrest. The mayor said the problems are larger than policing and that the problems facing Baltimore and other urban areas are multifaceted.

"What we experienced in Baltimore City was the result of polices that failed communities for generations. Despite reforms to our police department, historic investments in education and a one-third reduction in our city's unemployment rate, we saw just how much work is left to be done in order to end the pain so many communities are facing while we work to improve police-community relations," Rawlings-Blake said. "The tensions we saw, and the challenges we still face can be seen in other urban centers across the country. As we continue the process of healing our city, I hope that mayors across the country use this moment to begin attacking the systemic inequalities that their cities have faced for decades. I will continue this fight in Baltimore and together we can all be stronger."

One of the first orders of business Monday was a conversation on race and community policing. The mayor told the audience that Baltimore has become one of the focal points for this national issue and it has a long way to go.

"Before Ferguson, we were already studying how to implement police body cameras and ways we could reduce excessive force in our police department, putting those plans in place," Rawlings-Blake said.

Rawlings-Blake told the group that as a result, the city has seen a decline in lawsuits against the police department for misconduct, and she said there has been a decline in citizen complaints for police discourtesy. She promised to continue the conversation on race and community policing as she steps into her new role.

"There are systemic issues we all must face if we are clearly going to make an impact in repairing the breach between the community and the police," Rawlings-Blake said.

Rawlings-Blake is the first African-American woman to lead the The U.S. Conference of Mayors, as well as the first mayor from Baltimore. The mayor thanked her family, friends and the women who blazed the trail for her.

Based in Washington, D.C., The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. The primary roles of the Conference are to promote the development of effective national urban/suburban policy; strengthen federal-city relationships; ensure that federal policy meets urban needs; provide mayors with leadership and management tools; and create a forum in which mayors can share ideas and information.